Machine for trimming



E. S. HARRIS. MACHINE FOR TRI'MMING BOOT 0R SHOE UPPERS; No 540,438.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

Patented June 4, 1895.

"'WITNE 5 5 E5 rmms wnzns 00.. rumour (No Model.) 3 Sheets -Sheet 2.

' E. S. HARRIS.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING BOOT 0R SHOE UPPERS;

No; 540,438. Patented June 4, 1895.

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ELMER- s. HARRIS,

OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINEFOR TRIMMING.BOOT OR SHOE UPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of the sole, or to the sole and welt, such material ness of the being the edges of the upper and welt in a welted shoe, while in 2. turned shoe it is the edge of the upper only. Machines now in use forthis purpose are of two types,one in which two mutually acting knives remove the surplus material by an intermittent shearing out; and another in which a single oscillating knife operates intermittently against the feeding and supporting action of a pair of rolls. In the former type, the possible closeout is limited by the necessary thickness ofthe shearing knife adjacent to the shoe; but as no positive guide or restis provided, the results are irregular. In the latter type, no guide or rest of any description is provided, and as the closeness of out is unlimited, shoes are frequently damaged. A further objection to both types is that the amount of work performed is limited by the lack of continuity due to the intermittent action of the cutting knives, and also by the speed at which the feed-rolls may be arranged to be driven in the latter type.

The object of my invention is to, provide a trimming machine in which the construction and appliancesare such that the closeness of the cut will beaccurately'determined,"the

damage of shoes rendered impossible, and the amount of work limited only by the keeuness of the cutting knife and the deftness of the operator. To this end, I provide the cutting knife with two rests separated by a space'or receive the projecting material to be trimmed, said rests being formed to support the surfaces of a boot or shoe at opposite sides of said material, the cutting edge of the knife extending across said recess above the acting faces of said rests and in position to trim the projecting material at a height determined by the projection of the ' part of this specification,

or su rplus material which is present in tiynedan d weltedshoes afterithe operation of stitching the upper to knife. I Fig.

Letters Patent No. 540,438, dated June 4, 1895. Application filed April 1, 1895. Serial No. 544u N model-1 I said acting faces below the knife. I also provide a continuously moving cutting edge, either by means of an annular rotating knife, a rotary disk knife, a belt knife, or approximately bymeansf of an oscillating knife.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a Figure 1 is afront elevation of the plfefenlled ferm of my ma- 'QhiIlQfShdWingihe ed ge ef-anannular rotating knife A, two rests J J separated by a recess K, and an emery or other grinding wheel L arranged and adapted to sharpen the edge of the said knife.

Fig. 2 is, a side elevation of Fig. 1, showing the frame G of the machine, the annular knife upon the shaft D,-

driving the latter and the Fig. 3 is a section of the anand means for grinding-wheel.

nular knife and a supporting cupped disk or cutter-head, a portion of the drivinghaft, and a bearing therefor. Fig. 4 is. a perspective view'of the annular knife made from a strip of sheet steel and bent to a circle, but shown with the abutting ends sprung apart. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the rests and a chip-guard J to be more specifically described hereinafter. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of that portion of a trimming-machine embodying my improvement and showing the application of the rests to a rotary disk 7 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 6, but showing the application of the rests to a belt-knife. Fig. 9 is an end view'of the parts shownin Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is similar to Fig.6, but showing the application of the rests to an oscillating knife. Fig. 11 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a transverse section of a portion of a turned shoe, together with the rests and knife, showof the several parts with the projecting material to be 13 is similar to'Fig. 12, but

ing the relation shoe and the trimmed. Fig.

showing a welted shoe in place of a turned shoe.

- Corresponding parts in the several views are denoted by'like letters of reference.

Referring now in particular to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A represents the annular knife secured to a cupped disk or cutter-head B by means of screws 0. The said cutter-head is secured to a driving-shaft D by a tapered fit and key E or other suitable means. The said shaft rotates in bearings F supported by a frame G, and is provided with a belt-driven pulley and balance-wheel. A guard I secured to the frameG projects forward and inc'loses the knife A,protecting both thelatter and the workman from accident. Adjustabl y secured to the said guard are the rests J J separated by the recess K and having the acting faces J J and the recess J arranged to receive the knife. The rest toward which the knife rotates and against which the shoe and the trimmed surplus material are consequently pressed is provided with a chip-guard J projecting inward toward the center of the cutter-head B and close to the face thereof. The purpose of the said chip-guard is to deflect the trimmed material from following the course of the rotating knife and to facilitate the discharge from the knife of the said material or chips. I further provide my improved trimming-machine with an emery or other grinding wheel L for the purpose of conveniently sharpening the rotary knife. The said grinding wheel is secured upon a shaft L rotating in bearing l supported by the frame G, and is provided with an adjustable screw L by means of which the said grinding wheel may be fed to or from contact with therotary knife at the will of the operator. A pulley L is secured to the shaft L and is driven by a belt L passing oversuitableidler pulleys L supported on the frame G and from a driving pulleysecured upon the shaft D. The adjustment of the rests J J may be by means of the screws J and slots J or any other suitable means. At S S is shown the outlines of a shoe in position to be trimmed.

The operation will be evident. The workman presses the shoe upward against the rests and forward against the knife, with the surplus material to be trimmed introduced in the recess K, and the said surplus material is rapidly cut away, the chips being deflected and thrown from the knife by the chip-guard J but I do not confine myself to this particular form of knife, and will now describe several modifications.

Referring in particular to Figs. 6 and 7, a represents the rotary knife, secured at the end of a shaft 1) revolving in fixed bearings c c and provided with a belt-driven pulley d. Secured to the frame e, which supports the bearings, shaft, and knife, are the rests ff separated by the recess 9 and having the acting faces h h which extend under the knife.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, a. a represent a belt knife, o a driving pulley, and w an adjustable idler pulley, over which pulleys the knife runs. 1) is the shaft to which the driving pulley is secured, revolving in fixed bearings and provided with the belt-driven pulley d. b is the shaft to which the idler pulleyis secured, revolving in adjustable bearings. Secured to the frameewhich supports the bearings, shafts, and knife, are the restsff arranged as above described.

Referring to Figs. 10 and .11, a" a repre is to be removed; ff,

sent an oscillating knife secured to a frame Z oscillating upon the fixed shaft 112 and driven by a crank or eccentric n by means of the connecting-rod 0. Secured to the frame 6 which supports the bearings, knife, &c., are the rests ff arranged as above described.

Referring now to Fig. 12, p is a section of part of a turned shoe; q, a section of the projecting edge of the upper, a portion of which the rests; g, the recess receiving the projecting material to be trimmed, and h h the acting faces against which the sole or surface of the shoe 0n opposite sides of said material is pressed, and u u is a knife having its cutting edge extending across the said recess at such a height above the acting faces as to remove so much of the surplus'portion as may be desired and no more, as hereinbefore described.

Referring now to Fig. 13, p is a section of a portion of a welted shoe; q, a section of the projecting edge of the upper and welt, a portion of which is to be removed, all shown in relation to the rests and knife as in the case of a turned shoe described above.

It will be seen that the closeness of the trimming depends on the thickness of the rests and their adjustment in relation to the knife.

A further advantage is that the part of the rests forming the sides of the recess act as a support for the material to be trimmed, against the displacing action of the moving knife.

It will also be evident that the amount of work performed is chiefly dependent on the skill of the operator, since the speed and length of the knife-edge is merely a matter of dimension.

The knife A shown and described in this application is shown and described and claimed in another application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me the 11th day of May, 1895, Serial No. 548,927.

I claim- 1. In a trimming-machine of the character specified, the combination of two adjustable rests separated by a recess formed to receive the projecting material to be trimmed, said rests being formed to support the surfaces of a boot or shoe at opposite sides of the said material, a knife having its cutting edge extending across the said recess above the acting faces of the said rests and in position to trim the projecting material at a height determined by the projection of the said acting faces below the knife, and means for operating said knife.

2. In a trimming-machine of the character specified, the combination of two adjustable rests separated by a recess formed to receive the projecting material to be trimmed, said rests being form ed to support the surface of a boot or shoe at opposite sides of the said material, a knife having a continuously acting cutting edge such as that possessed by an annular rotating knife, a rotary disk knife, or

a band knife, and havingits cutting edge extending across the said recess above theacting faces of the said rests and in position to trim the projecting material at a height determined by the projection of the said acting faces below the knife, and means for operating said knife by moving it progressively in one direction.

3. In a trimming-machine of the character specified, the combination of an annular rotating knife secured to a suitable shaft turning in fixed bearings on a supporting frame, a belt-driven pulley secured to the said shaft, and two rests adjustably secured to and supported by the said frame, thesaid rests being separated by a recess formed to receive the projecting material to be trimmed and formed to support the surfaces of a boot or shoe at opposite sides of the said material.

4. In a trimming-machine of the character specified, the combination of an annular rotating knife secured to a suitable shaft turning in fixed bearings on a supporting frame,

va belt-driven pulley secured to the said shaft,

two rests adj ustably secured to and supported bythe said frame, the said rests being separated by a recess formed to receive the projecting material to be trimmed and formed to support the surfaces of a boot or shoe at 0pposite sides of the said material,and a grinding wheel adapted to sharpen the said annular knife secured to a suitable shaft turning in bearings on the said supporting frame and driven by a belt and suitable pulleys, the said grinding wheel being adjustable to and from contact with the edge of the said knife.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of January, A. D. 1895.

ELMER S. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, ROLLIN ABELL. 

